Don’t Coll me, I’ll Coll you

I remember Brian Coll as an almost myth-like character.
The stuff of legend.
As a child, I used to see photos of him, along with my uncle Ray Moore, from their days in The Plattermen showband.

He always remained a legendary figure in my mind, like a ghost from the past.

And then one day, I met him.

He was wearing one of his famous suits, and he just looked like a star.

I was just a kid, but he talked to me, and told me stories about his days on the road.

A few years later, I had the honour of being part of his backing band for one night, when an impromptu performance was called upon. Of course, there were no rehearsals, so his only instructions was to turn to the band before each song and give directions like, “Okay fellas, this is a quick step in the key of C.”

A born showman.

Brian’s career started back in 1960 when he spent a spell singing with The Polka Dots showband from his home town of Omagh.

But he really came into his own as a member of the Plattermen. Initially, called The Platters Showband, the group soon changed their name because of confusion with The American Platters.

Already recognised as one of the top country singers in Ireland, in 1968, Brian decided it was time to start his own band which he called the Buckaroos.

The band debuted in the Astoria Ballroom in Bundoran in 1968, and were an immediate hit.

It wasn’t long before the band was playing right across the country, building a reputation as one of Ireland’s top acts. Brian and the band were now well on their way.

In 1969, the band announced they were going to be appearing in the world famous Carnegie Hall in New York alongside top American country stars Johnny Cash and Buck Owens.

This would be the first of many honours for Brian and the boys.

Throughout the summer of 1969, the band went from strength-to-strength, playing at all the carnivals across the country which brought their music to an even wider audience.

Brian also started wearing his signature embroidered jackets at this time, which were imported from Nashville from Mel Levy, tailor to all the Nashville stars.

In1970, Brian was selected to share the stage with country superstar Slim Whitman at the National Stadium in Dublin.

Brian’s singing style had been compared many times to Slim’s style.

Around this same time, Brian was reunited with long time friend, Arty McGlynn (guitar), who joined the band.

Arty has always been regarded as one of the top guitar players in the country, and at the time, he was one of the few great steel guitar players in Ireland.

After a brief spell with illness, Brian was soon back on the road again with Arty as Brian Coll and His New Buckaroos.

Go check YouTube for a video of a BBC2 TV show made in 1980 called ‘Six Days on the Road’, which captured Brian and the Buckaroos as they travelled across Ireland and the UK.

It’s a great snapshot of the way things were for bands back in the day, with Brian making some great comments about his own career, and Arty playing guitar in the front seat of the tour van.

One of the country’s most enduring and endearing superstars, Brian continued to entertain audiences across Ireland and the UK, taking part in concerts ands shows until his death in November 2020.

This week marks his anniversary, and here at Boneyard HQ, we will be raising a glass for the man, and playing his records loud in the office.